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 * ORACLE PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
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package javax.management.openmbean;

// java import
//

// jmx import
//

import javax.management.MBeanParameterInfo;


/**
 * <p>Describes a constructor of an Open MBean.</p>
 *
 * <p>This interface declares the same methods as the class {@link
 * javax.management.MBeanConstructorInfo}.  A class implementing this
 * interface (typically {@link OpenMBeanConstructorInfoSupport})
 * should extend {@link javax.management.MBeanConstructorInfo}.</p>
 *
 * <p>The {@link #getSignature()} method should return at runtime an
 * array of instances of a subclass of {@link MBeanParameterInfo}
 * which implements the {@link OpenMBeanParameterInfo} interface
 * (typically {@link OpenMBeanParameterInfoSupport}).</p>
 *
 * @since 1.5
 */
public interface OpenMBeanConstructorInfo {

  // Re-declares the methods that are in class MBeanConstructorInfo of JMX 1.0
  // (methods will be removed when MBeanConstructorInfo is made a parent interface of this interface)

  /**
   * Returns a human readable description of the constructor
   * described by this <tt>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</tt> instance.
   *
   * @return the description.
   */
  public String getDescription();

  /**
   * Returns the name of the constructor
   * described by this <tt>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</tt> instance.
   *
   * @return the name.
   */
  public String getName();

  /**
   * Returns an array of <tt>OpenMBeanParameterInfo</tt> instances
   * describing each parameter in the signature of the constructor
   * described by this <tt>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</tt> instance.
   *
   * @return the signature.
   */
  public MBeanParameterInfo[] getSignature();

  // commodity methods
  //

  /**
   * Compares the specified <var>obj</var> parameter with this <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code>
   * instance for equality. <p> Returns <tt>true</tt> if and only if all of the following statements
   * are true: <ul> <li><var>obj</var> is non null,</li> <li><var>obj</var> also implements the
   * <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> interface,</li> <li>their names are equal</li> <li>their
   * signatures are equal.</li> </ul> This ensures that this <tt>equals</tt> method works properly
   * for <var>obj</var> parameters which are different implementations of the
   * <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> interface. <br>&nbsp;
   *
   * @param obj the object to be compared for equality with this <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code>
   * instance;
   * @return <code>true</code> if the specified object is equal to this <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code>
   * instance.
   */
  public boolean equals(Object obj);

  /**
   * Returns the hash code value for this <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> instance. <p> The
   * hash code of an <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> instance is the sum of the hash codes of
   * all elements of information used in <code>equals</code> comparisons (ie: its name and
   * signature, where the signature hashCode is calculated by a call to
   * <tt>java.util.Arrays.asList(this.getSignature).hashCode()</tt>). <p> This ensures that <code>
   * t1.equals(t2) </code> implies that <code> t1.hashCode()==t2.hashCode() </code> for any two
   * <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> instances <code>t1</code> and <code>t2</code>, as
   * required by the general contract of the method {@link Object#hashCode() Object.hashCode()}.
   * <p>
   *
   * @return the hash code value for this <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> instance
   */
  public int hashCode();

  /**
   * Returns a string representation of this <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> instance. <p> The
   * string representation consists of the name of this class (ie <code>javax.management.openmbean.OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code>),
   * and the name and signature of the described constructor.
   *
   * @return a string representation of this <code>OpenMBeanConstructorInfo</code> instance
   */
  public String toString();

}
